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Sandpaintings for Piano is a sixteen-movement solo piano cycle inspired by the artistic principles and structural design of traditional Diné sandpaintings. Rather than simply depicting their imagery, the work draws upon the underlying ideas that shape them: symmetry, reflection, and the enduring principles of transformation and balance. Organized around the four sacred directions, the cycle unfolds in a clockwise progression from East to South, West, and finally North, mirroring the ordered movement found in both the traditional Diné hogan and many sandpainting designs. Themes introduced in the Northern direction serve as the source material for the entire cycle, appearing as inversions in the East, retrograde inversions in the South, and retrogrades in the West before returning in their original form in the North.

While the music draws inspiration from common visual elements found in traditional Diné sandpaintings, it respectfully avoids ceremonial imagery reserved for sacred contexts. Instead, the work reimagines those images through a contemporary musical language, allowing ideas of order, transformation, and restoration to unfold. Only in the Northern direction do the themes appear in their original form, completing the musical journey through a quiet restoration of balance.